Specialist Vehicle Classifications

The following is a guide to those types of vehicle which are classified as specialist vehicles.  If you are unsure about the vehicle you wish to drive you should check with the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).


Three or four-wheeled light vehicles - category B1
Motor tricycles or quadricycles in category B1 have:

• three or four wheels
• a design speed greater than 50 km per hour
• an unladen weight of no more than 550 kg

These vehicles may be designed like a small car with car-type controls or a motorcycle with motorcycle-type controls. You must be 17 years old to use a vehicle in this category.

Agricultural tractors - category F
These vehicles :

• have two or more axles
• are constructed for use as a tractor for work off the road in connection with agriculture or forestry

If you want to drive tractors on public roads you must be at least 16 years old.  At 16 you are restricted to a tractor which is no more than 2.45 metres wide and only driving on the road when travelling to and from a driving test appointment until you've passed your category F driving test.

At 17 years old you can drive any tractor and you can drive unaccompanied on the road displaying L plates, or D plates in Wales.

Road rollers - category G
Before you can apply for a provisional licence for a category G you must have passed a test for a vehicle in category B.

At 17 years old you can drive a road roller:

• with metal rollers
• weighing less than 11.69 tonnes unladen
• which isn't steam propelled

At 21 years old you can drive other road rollers. These include rollers:

• which have pneumatic, resilient or elastic tyres
• that weigh more than 11.69 tonnes unladen
• that are steam propelled

Track laying vehicles steered by their tracks - category H
Before you can apply for a provisional licence for a category H you must have passed a test for a vehicle in category B.

You must be at least 21 years old to drive these vehicles.

Mowing machines or pedestrian-controlled vehicles - category K
Mowing machines are specialist ride-on grass cutting vehicles with permanent cutting equipment.

A pedestrian-controlled vehicle is a powered vehicle where the operator walks with the vehicle, and does not ride on it. This is not treated as a motor vehicle, so you will not need a driving licence to use one.

You must be 16 years old to drive these vehicles.

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